Flight then fight - travelling Bakole misses weigh-in

Artur Beterbiev v Dmitry Bivol - plus undercard featuring Sheeraz v Adames

Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Date: Saturday, 22 February

BBC Coverage: Follow radio coverage on BBC Sport website and app from 16:30 GMT, before switching to BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds and BBC Sport website at 19:30

Late replacement Martin Bakole missed the weigh-in for his heavyweight bout with Joseph Parker as he was still making his way to Saudi Arabia just 24 hours before the fight.

The 33-year-old was drafted in at two days' notice after Britain's world heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois withdrew from the contest through illness on Thursday.

Travelling from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bakole was in the air at the time of Friday's weigh-in, and is expected to land in Riyadh no earlier than 02:00 local time on Saturday.

"To Daniel Dubois, get better soon. To Martin Bakole, thank you for taking this fight on short notice," said New Zealander Parker after he weighed in alone at a career heavy 19st 1lb.

Undisputed light-heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev (12st 7lb) and Dmitry Bivol (12st 6lb) both successfully weighed in for their much-anticipated rematch.

Russian Beterbiev has won all 21 pro fights with 20 knockouts. The 40-year-old inflicted a first career defeat on his compatriot Bivol, 34, with a points success four months ago - a thrilling fight that lived up to the hype - and expects the rematch to be even better.

The pair – just as they did in October – kept their words to a minimum and shared an intense, ice-cold face-off.

Congolese Bakole, who now lives in Scotland, was in DR Congo's capital city Kinshasa – reportedly overseeing the build of a new house – when he got a call offering him the chance to replace Dubois.

Terms were agreed within an hour and Bakole boarded a plane to Ethiopia, where he caught a connecting flight on Friday morning. In an Instagram post uploaded from the airport, he promised to "shock the world".

In his absence at the weigh-in - where Bakole's weight does not matter as he is a heavyweight - Parker faced off with his own promoter, Frank Warren, who jokingly shoved the New Zealander, 33.

"I wanted this fight," added former world champion Parker. "I wanted it because I wanted to challenge myself and Martin Bakole is right up there. Bring him on.

"There's a few changes we worked on last night, spoken about it today and it's all going to come together tomorrow."

The contest will be for Parker's WBO 'interim' title, meaning the winner will be a mandatory contender for unified world champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Briton Hamzah Sheeraz (11st 5lb) and WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames (11st 4lb) made weight for their world title bout.

At 6ft 2in, the wiry Sheeraz, 25, towered over his 30-year-old opponent at the head-to head.

Dominican Adames cut a confident figure, though, and dismissed his rival's physical advantages.

"Coconuts are high and we can still take them down, so I'll do the same to him," said Adames.

Earlier, part-time electrician Josh Padley – who also accepted late call-up to fight WBC lightweight world champion Shakur Stevenson on just a few days' notice – promised he would grab the opportunity "with both hands".

Doncaster's Padley and American Stevenson weighed in a pound under the 9st 9lb limit.

In Saturday's opening bout, British rivals Callum Smith (12st 7lb) and Joshua Buatsi (12st 6lb) will be hoping to push their claim for a light-heavyweight title shot against the winner of Beterbiev-Bivol.

"[Buatsi] is a good fighter but I've said all along I'm better," said former super-middleweight world champion Smith, 34.